Moving
On With Jesus....Christ's Church, Mandurah
Open-ended, Life-centred
Explorations of the (supplementary) Gospels..Lent-Easter Year A
MT 26: 57-75...Lent 3(A)
NOTES:
(1)
Jesus' Passion builds towards its climax. (2) In Jesus, the term 'Son
of Man' ( = Humanity, v.64) always has two cutting
edges: a
divine supernatural one, and an earthed,
human one. (3) The word 'religious'
(Q.3) comes from
Latin & means 'obligation, e.g. under an oath' [O.E.D.]
PRAYER:
For strength to move on through being true to Jesus & not denying
Him, no matter what the circumstances.
WARM UP:
(for Groups): Are we more used to speaking with our head, our heart, or with both?
MOVING
ON:
1. Are there ways in which
we, as part of an organised church, can still feel threatened by Jesus
as Caiaphas & co. felt threatened by Him back then? Are there
attitudes we need to change if we're not to be a threat to Jesus
Himself & what He stands for?
2. Do we ever find ourselves in
a position like Peter finds himself in here: sitting on the sidelines
watching to see what happens, because we're a bit threatened by the
action? Does it happen in our family? our community? our church?
......? If
we need to move on from sitting on some sidelines, how do we do that?
3. Does much 'bearing false
witness' of any kind go on in our civil or faith communities today?
Does it have to be in a religious setting to qualify as 'false
witness'? Isn't all life 'religious'? How can we put value back into
bearing 'true' witness in a wide
sense?
4. What convinces us that Jesus
really is the Messiah, God's Anointed One? Does either 'edge' (see N.
2 above) to the term 'Son of Man / Humanity' have a stronger pull on us
than the other? Can we see why that might be?
5. Does the viciousness of the
attacks on Jesus (v.67) ring any bells about the way people can still
treat those who are a threat to them today? How do we deal with
the aggression becoming more & more common today, or have we become
part of it?
6. Are there ways in which
people today can recognize us as either followers of Jesus or deniers
of Him? If Peter is given away by his looks, his accent, & maybe
his blustering, are there things that give us away too? How could we
move on from such 'give-aways'? Is there any kind of
'cock' that crows somewhere in our own life? Is there something we
still need to do because we've failed (Jesus), someone else, or maybe
ourself, if we're to be forgiven & move on?
[For Groups: Closing prayers
& any 'housekeeping' arrangements needing to be made, etc.]
